Ending Maker - Chapter 97
EPISODE 97 – PHOENIX (4)
Thud-!
Jude landed like a feather because of the brilliant golden whirlwind. He put Cordelia down while Red Wind landed with a series of thudding sounds.
“Be careful, the attack would begin as soon as you cross that line.”
Cordelia spoke in a low voice and promptly lit a magic light to drive out the darkness.
“As expected, this is the High Elves’ architectural style. The unknown spirit warrior must have been a high elf.”
Hearing the words of Violent Avalanche, Jude and Cordelia looked into the distance.
They could see the rock egg where the Phoenix was sealed straight ahead.
“Are you ready?”
“I’m ready.”
“What about you, Red Wind?”
“I’m ready too.”
“Okay, then let’s go.”
“Why are you not asking about me?”
The voices ended with Violent Avalanche speaking.
Jude just looked ahead but the kind Cordelia opened her mouth for Violent Avalanche.
“Are you ready, Violent Avalanche?”
“I am.”
“Alright, then let’s go.”
Cordelia said as she tapped the back of Jude who then nodded.
In his mind, he recalled the dungeon in the game.
‘A series of straightforward traps.’
A series of straightforward flame attacks would beset them in the passage leading to the sealing area, perhaps because a Phoenix was sealed here.
But if they knew where, what, and how the attack would unfold, they would be able to fully respond.
“Formation complete. Let’s go!”
Thud!
Jude kicked the ground and took the lead.
At that moment, flames shot down above his head, but Jude unhesitatingly raised his right hand high.
He made a shield using Count Chase’s ring to stop the flames and passed the flame zone in less than a second.
“<Cold Air!>”
And Cordelia ran right behind him. Because Cordelia was wearing items with Freezing attributes, she wasn’t even slightly harmed by the flames at all. The flame’s momentum was broken by Jude who had already passed by, and then pushed away by the <Cold Air> magic that Cordelia cast so she was able to easily pass too.
“Uooo!”
Violent Avalanche just ran, and so did Red Wind. She was wearing items with Flame attributes in the first place, so Red Wind was strong against the flames in a different sense than Cordelia.
“Let’s move on!”
“Here I go!”
Cordelia took the lead this time.
She blocked the flames in advance on both sides by using a telekinetic power covered with the <Cold Air> spell, while Jude stepped forward and spread out the shield to stop the suddenly appearing flames.
“Uooo!”
Violent just ran this time again and Red Wind was not much different.
And that repeated for five times.
After finally breaking through all the traps and arriving at the sealing area, Jude and Cordelia exchanged glances and immediately took action.
“<Sword of Calamity!>”
She had changed the spear version of Calamity which she had always used into a sword version.
With the jet-black flame sword, Cordelia broke the magic circle that was drawn on the floor which led to the seal itself to be destroyed.
Szzzzzk-!
Sparks rose from the ground and magical energy erupted everywhere, making Red Wind swallow her breath. She then swung the blessed blunt weapon in her hand and struck the rock egg.
Booom-!
A thunderbolt struck.
The rock egg shattered with the sound of thunder, and a huge roar shook the entire sealing area at that moment.
“Kiaaaaa-!”
The roaring of the Phoenix was similar to why a chicken cries in the bright morning.
Flames burst out in front of them and a yellow color filled their vision.
The heat they felt seemed like it could melt their whole bodies.
“Uooo!”
At that very moment, Violent Avalanche jumped up. Jude grabbed such Violent Avalanche and pushed Violent Avalanche into their pre-calculated position.
Boooom-!
The raging flames, or to be precise, the shooting flames collided into Violent Avalanche.
Although Violent Avalanche was weak, it was still a wild god.
Violent Avalanche was also the wild god of avalanches who ruled a rocky mountain.
The flames were stopped by the force of an immensely cold air, and the death flames that occurred when the Phoenix awoke were neutralized and disappeared.
“Gaaah!”
Jude hastily recovered the screaming Violent Avalanche before he raised his head. This is because the Phoenix who woke up had spread out its wings and flew outwards.
“Hurry up!”
“Let’s merge!”
Cordelia sprinted and merged with Jude as he carried her. Jude ran after the Phoenix while Red Wind followed them after carrying Violent Avalanche.
And immediately after…
“Kiaaa!”
The Phoenix shrieked when it tried to fly out of the sealing area.
It was because of the <Cold Air> magic circle cast by the shamans of the Great Storm tribe who were waiting outside the sealing area.
“Okay!”
In the original story, Red Wind had to face the Phoenix alone, but not now.
So they came up with this plan.
An easy and fast strategy that they couldn’t do in the game!
“Cha-cha!”
Jude kicked the wall as he jumped up at once and flew out of the entrance. While holding Cordelia, he rolled on the floor once before they quickly stood up.
“Kuooo!”
The Phoenix angrily screamed and rushed towards Frost Wind, the great shaman of the Great Storm tribe.
It was as expected and as planned.
“Cordelia!”
“Okay!”
Booooom-!
Frost Wind and the shamans’ spells blocked the Phoenix.
The Phoenix tried to attack Frost Wind like a bird catching its prey. When its feet touched the ground for a moment, Cordelia dug into that gap.
“<Freeze!>”
It was a simple freezing spell that bound the target.
But it was important to note that the caster was Cordelia.
“<Double Casting>! <Spell’s Echo>!”
One spell quickly became four.
In addition, Cordelia’s level had reached around 60, which let her use a new skill.
“<Freeze!> <Freeze!><Freeze!>”
High-Speed Chanting.
A unique skill of wizards that allowed them to use magic in quick succession.
Because it was a relatively simple magic, it was possible to use it four times in a row, even if her mastery of High-Speed Chanting was still low.
And if Double Casting and Spell’s Echo was added to this…
“Kkeuaaa!”
The Phoenix screamed in pain as something surprising happened. The whole body of the Phoenix began to freeze.
“16 Freeze shots!”
Jude shouted while Cordelia’s nose bled.
Because she had randomly shot magic spells too quickly.
But Cordelia was undaunted and swallowed the contents of a potion. Jude ran forward and tore the magic circles he had drawn overnight.
“<Magic Fixation!> <Magic Resistance Reduction!>”
What he used were spells that increased the duration of the already cast magic and reduced the enemy’s magic resistance.
The Phoenix was a flame spirit whose whole body was made of flames. So in order for it to remain frozen, he had to do at least that much.
“Okay! Here we go!”
Cordelia wiped the blood from her lips and nose before she powerfully shouted and cast 16 Freeze shots again. The already frozen Phoenix was frozen even more.
“Kkeuaaa!”
The Phoenix continued to scream in the midst of this.
Well, it could still scream after all.
Because Jude and Cordelia adjusted the magic spells so that only the Phoenix’s head did not freeze.
Why was that?
Why did they leave out the head?
“Red Wind!”
“Head! Head! Head! Head!”
Cordelia shouted at Red Wind, who was late in coming out of the sealing area with Violent Avalanche. And Red Wind responded to Cordelia’s call.
As she had been taught yesterday, she shouted ‘head’ and swung her blessed blunt weapon.
“Ack! Ack! Ack!”
The Phoenix was a flame spirit that had no substance, so it was immune to most physical attacks, but Red Wind’s attacks were an exception.
The blunt weapon that was blessed by the three wild gods – Violent Avalanche, Gentle Snow Breeze, and Great Storm, hit the Phoenix’s spirit body itself.
“Head! Head! Head! Head!”
The frozen and immobile Phoenix had its head pounded like mad by Red Wind.
The Phoenix shrieked and tried to break the ice, but it was impossible. Jude and Cordelia did not let it do so.
“16 Freeze shots!”
“<Magic Fixation!> <Magic Resistance Reduction!>”
Crack! Crack! Crack!
If the ice seemed to slightly break, the ice froze again.
Because of its lowered magic resistance, Red Wind’s attacks were more painful.
“Kkeuaaa! Ack!”
“Head!”
Red Wind did not stop. She was sweating a lot while Jude calculated the health of the Phoenix and of Red Wind’s attack. As a result, he figured out the total number of attacks she still needed to do.
“Just 50 more!”
“Hiiek?!”
The Phoenix swallowed its scream at Jude’s cry.
50 more hits from now.
50 more.
“Kkiaaa!”
When the Phoenix loudly screamed, Cordelia turned to Violent Avalanche.
As if she had looked for an interpreter, Violent Avalanche quickly understood.
“It’s saying that it would rather be killed by just a knife.”
“I see.”
But that was impossible.
Red Wind didn’t have the ability to do that yet.
She had to work hard and hit the Phoenix blow by blow to reach 50 hits.
“Tsk-tsk-tsk, I somehow feel guilty about this.”
Violent Avalanche clicked its tongue and offered a silent prayer for the still alive Phoenix.
And in the midst of that, Jude faced Cordelia and asked.
“Can you do it one more time?”
“I’ll try!”
Cordelia was actually feeling dizzy, but she deliberately spoke energetically and cast <Freeze> again afterwards.
The situation seemed to be easygoing at first glance, but it wasn’t at all.
The shamans of the Great Storm tribe were able to narrowly restrain the Phoenix due to the magic circle they had set up and activated, but if they let their guard down for just a bit, the Phoenix might break the ice and run away.
“Red Wind! Hurry!”
This was the last time that Cordelia could continuously cast <Freeze> magic.
At Jude’s urging, Red Wind shouted in concentration and swung her blunt weapon again.
“Head!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Red Wind climbed up on the Phoenix’s back and bombarded it with three consecutive strikes before she flinched and jumped down in an instant.
Because at the moment of her last attack, she ‘felt’ it.
“Okay! We’ve reached 50 strikes!”
Jude exclaimed as he supported the staggering Cordelia, and Cordelia saw it at that moment.
Shwaaaa-!
The ice that had sealed the Phoenix melted away.
And the Phoenix’s flame also died down.
But it was only for a moment.
A small flame rose again in the air. The flame that started as yellow in color became blue and then turned into red as it greatly intensified before turning into a new bird of flame.
“Aaah!”
It was a clear and ringing voice.
Just like in the game, the evil Phoenix died and was reborn as a new pure and innocent baby Phoenix.
“Wow…”
Red Wind dropped her blunt weapon as she let out a voice in awe, and so did the shamans of the Great Storm tribe.
But Jude and Cordelia were rather tense as they gulped in nervousness.
This moment was somehow more important than defeating the Phoenix.
‘Choose Red Wind as your master!’
When Jude mentally shouted, the Phoenix flew in the air and surveyed everyone on the ground.
“Uh, our eyes met.”
The moment Cordelia said that, the baby Phoenix suddenly shuddered and then flew towards Red Wind. It somehow looked like it was running away from Cordelia.
“Hmm, that’s better, that’s an excellent choice.”
Cordelia narrowed her eyes at the words of Violent Avalanche, but she widely smiled afterwards upon seeing the Phoenix sitting on Red Wind’s shoulder.
“Looks like it worked.”
The newly born Phoenix recognized Red Wind as its master.
Red Wind carefully stretched out her hands to Phoenix, and the newly born Phoenix who was small and a little larger than a dove, sat on Red Wind’s hand as if it responded to her.
Their actions could only mean one thing.
“Would you like to be with me?”
When Red Wind asked in the wild land’s language, the Phoenix nodded and then rubbed its head against the Red Wind’s cheeks, as if it signed a contract with her.
“Hehehe. It’s a Phoenix! A Phoenix!”
Red Wind widely smiled and looked at Jude and Cordelia. The two sighed with a look of relief before smiling together.
“We got one thing done.”
“We got one thing done. We also gained something.”
“Eh? Gained something?”
What are you talking about? Didn’t the Phoenix become Red Wind’s?
Cordelia tilted her head and Jude smiled as he took out what he packed earlier when they got out of the sealing area.
It was a golden feather filled with a red aura.
An item that contained not only the power of a strong flame but also the power of regeneration.
“The Phoenix’s feather.”
It also belonged to a Phoenix that was over a thousand years old.
“Uwaah.”
Cordelia admired it like a child, making Jude smile before he put the feather on her hair.
He then said with a brilliant smile.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes! I like it!”
Cordelia promptly answered as she laughed like Red Wind. She then spoke again after she straightened her posture.
“Okay, we have 6 days left. When we return, we’ll start the special training right away.”
Because getting the Phoenix wasn’t everything they had to do.
During the remaining time left, Red Wind had to engrave in her mind and body not only on how to use the Phoenix but also on how to fight Sun Song.
Jude said as he nodded his head.
“Yes, you also have to practice in your spare time too.”
“Ugeue…”
Practice.
Cordelia had a troubled look on her face and Jude delightedly smiled as he mentally thanked Gaël and Adelia.